1 82 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



brown and grey. On some eggs the markings are 

 evenly dispersed over the entire shell, on others 

 they collect into a zone, or even into a cap at the 

 end. In its secretive actions at the nest this species 

 closely resembles the Sky-Lark. The female appears 

 to incubate the eggs, and during this period the 

 male is in almost constant song. 



The food of the Wood-Lark consists of small 

 worms, insects and larvse during summer, and for 

 the most part of seeds in winter. The bird is 

 specially fond of small beedes and worms. We 

 should also state that the call-note of this Lark is 

 a musical double one, very similar to that of the 

 Sky- Lark. 



The Wood-Lark has the general colour of the 

 upper parts brown, all the feathers having dark 

 centres except on the rump, and the upper tail- 

 coverts ; the eye-stripe is white ; the wings are 

 brown, the primary coverts being tipped with white ; 

 the tail feathers are brownish-black tipped with 

 white, the outermost feathers smoke-brown marked 

 with blackish-brown on the inner web. The general 

 colour of the under parts is white suffused with buff, 

 and streaked with brownish-black on the throat, 

 breast and flanks. The female closely resembles 

 the male in colour ; but the nestlings are spotted 

 above with black and buff, and the under parts are 

 yellow profusely spotted with blackish-brown. The 

 total length of the Wood-Lark is about five and a 

 half inches. 



